Cities, schools raising nutrition awareness

It's hardly news anymore that a third of Americans are fat, but the epidemic continues to expand their belts as well as their deficits.

In the United States, two-thirds of adults and nearly one in three children are overweight or obese, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. The health cost of obesity is as high as $147 billion annually, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Obesity is "the fastest-growing cause of disease and death in America," U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona said in 2003, calling it crisis. "And it's completely preventable."

But obesity still haunts the nation as the U.S. government recently released the "2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans," repeating that same message: Eat healthier, exercise more.

As part of National Nutrition Month, cities and schools across the Victor Valley are hosting public events in March to raise awareness about how to eat and live healthy.

San Bernardino County has the second highest rate of diabetes in California and also has more obese people than almost any other county, according to a 2009 study by the American Diabetes Association.

"Most people are eating at fast food places and they're likely to have products higher in salt and fat and not many fruits or vegetables," said Debbie Rathbone, a registered dietitian at St. Mary Medical Center.

"Just make sure that you eat home more often with your family," she said. "That way, you not only get to talk to each other and get to know each other, you'll be enjoying your food."

Rathbone, who will teach a healthy living workshop in Apple Valley this month, offers healthy eating tips for local residents. She recommends eating five or more fruits or vegetables a day.

"These are filling foods," she said. "They're high in nutrients and low in calories."

She suggests eating foods that are in season because they are not only cheaper and fresher, but also taste better. For instance, oranges and squashes are winter products, while strawberries are best in the spring.

For young children, it usually takes 10 to 15 tries to start liking a new vegetable or food, Rathbone said.

"If your kids won't eat cooked vegetables, try raw or different recipes," she said, such as adding peanut butter or yogurt to fruit or make fruit salad or a smoothie.

For more tips from Rathbone, read the full story in Monday's Daily Press. Get complete stories every day with the "exactly as printed" Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Tomoya Shimura may be reached at (760) 955-5368 or tshimura@VVDailyPress.com.